


we have a lot of chemistry

by sugarrushgay



Category: Buzzfeed: Worth It
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, another fuckin slowburn thanks, did i just write real adult people into a high school setting? yes i did, i'm sorry mom dad and also the holy concept of writing, they're all there im just lazy to tag i only mentioned who's appeared up to now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-21 02:07:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12447336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarrushgay/pseuds/sugarrushgay
Summary: Okay, so he’s a bit of a wanting-his-cake-and-eating-it-too kind of guy; at least he acknowledges it.





	we have a lot of chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> have y'all noticed this Thing where i churn out another Awful Standrew fic every single day now because i've noticed it's become a Thing what does this mean

Andrew was not failing Chemistry.

“I’m not failing chemistry,” he slammed his locker resolutely, talking to no one in particular.

“Of course you aren’t,” Andrew’s head whipped to his side, Steven at his own locker only a few away from his. Steven’s face was stretched in an almost painfully understanding smile, and if these words had come from anyone else Andrew would’ve wondered if there was any bite to them, if they were poorly executed sarcasm – but he knew better. Steven was just nice, _too_ nice. “But you’re not exceling in it either.” _Ugh_. There it was. Andrew turned away and started to walk to AP History.

“Hey man, didn’t see you there-“ Andrew continued as he walked briskly, avoiding the subject entirely. Steven had instantly rushed to catch up to him, Andrew knew, and was trying to meet him stride for stride.

“Why don’t you want me to be your lab partner? Like, since i’ve asked you before and-“ Steven was breathing hard trying to walk as fast as Andrew, “And, well, you know – I’m like. I’m good at Chemistry! You know this, I just. I don’t mean like, I’m not like _bragging_ , I just like it a lot you know? Which just means I pay more attention and-“

“Yeah, you know I already have a lab partner.” Honestly, Andrew just wanted this conversation to stop.

“Yeah, I know Quinta, she’s super cool and really smart but I don’t think she’s all that interested in Chemis-“

Steven stopped abruptly, both in speaking and walking. For the first time in the conversation, Andrew adjusted to Steven’s whims, turning around to look at him in the middle of the hall. “ _Oh_.” Steven’s voice was barely a whisper, and for a second Andrew thought he saw a flash of sadness adorn Steven’s features before a classic Steven Lim Megawatt Smile took its place, making Andrew doubt what he’d seen before.

“Oh.” Andrew repeated flatly, not posed as a question but meant as one.

“Yeah, yeah, I hear that, I get it now – I. I understand, i just. If you. If you need to borrow my notes sometime – uh. You know where to find me,” Steven cocked his head to the side and pointed to himself with his thumb, awkwardly twisting around to walk to his own class, smile everpresent on him but feeling very off. Andrew tried very hard not to notice that and was very disappointed that he had, brow furrowed as he watched Steven move away. _What the fuck_? God, he really didn’t have time to think about _this_ too, his head was already swimming with how he, you know, _wasn’t_ failing chemistry.

As he turned back around to walk to class, he saw Adam shrug at him from further down the hall, taking a comical large bite from his bagel. When Andrew reached him and they walked in time, Adam spoke.

“You know. It be like that sometimes,” his face was stuffed with bagel as he spoke, and Andrew would find that ridiculously funny if his brain wasn’t screaming at him in the different accents of sleep deprivation and the lovely tune of _your-grades-are-dropping_.

“By ‘it’ I assume you mean Steven?”

“Well, honestly I meant life and conversations in general, but now that you mention him? Absolutely,”

Andrew wasn’t sure how Adam threaded together his trains of thought, but he nodded, staring at the ground, and they kept walking.

 

-

 

It’s not that he didn’t like Steven, because well – that would be absurd, and contradictory, and frankly a little crazy. Besides the fact that Steven was well liked by literally _everyone_ , Steven was also plain-and-simple his best friend. They and Adam were practically inseperable, it was almost graphic.

But Andrew was reserved, and he wasn’t used to expressing affection, much less doing it publicly, and was even less used to receiving affection, especially when he didn’t know when exactly to expect it most. So pairing up in Chem Lab with Steven? A recipe for disaster. Yeah, he knew it was totally 1965 of him, but he was kind of embarrassed to be so tactile with his guy friend in class - which he was certain was something that was going to happen because, well, it’s _Steven_. Of course, he never mentioned this, partly because he knows he’d get fucking heckled for days over the outdated and fragilely masculine aspect of the thought, but also because he selfishly didn’t want to risk Steven not wanting to be affectionate with him. Andrew was only human, he liked his fair share of hugs.

Okay, so he’s a bit of a wanting-his-cake-and-eating-it-too kind of guy; at least he acknowledges it.

He told Adam all of this –  at least, the short version – one time when he’d pressed to know _why the fuck_ Andrew was so hellbent on avoiding pairing up with Steven in the one class they share the entire term. Adam isn’t usually the kind of guy to push a subject, which worried Andrew because this time he really was pushing, and Andrew wasn’t the type to overshare, or really any kind of share, which worried Adam because this time he kind of was sharing. Adam asked him if he thought he was opening up because he was trying to rationalise something to himself more than he was trying to rationalise it to Adam, and Andrew stared at him perplexed for a good few minutes because honestly what the hell did that even mean. Adam sighed and shook his head, telling him he was being a dumbass and ignoring the stupidly obvious, and Andrew was none the wiser.

 

-

 

“Okay so like, it’s totally cool that you like Quinta right? And I’m not even bothered that you _didn’t fucking tell me_ ,” Steven shoveled an unhealthy-looking scoop of red jell-o into his mouth, the corners of it lifting in an impish smile. Andrew almost choked on his sandwich, looking up into Steven’s very smug, very warm eyes, wondering what wormhole and into which timeline he fell through.

“What the _fuck_?”

“That’s why you don’t want to switch out lab partners, right?” Andrew figured he must’ve looked _really_ confused, judging by the way Steven’s back straightened a bit and his eyebrows knit together.

“Uh- no, not right – where do you get these ideas, even,” he could feel his lips twitching into a smile, Steven could be such a delightful idiot sometimes.

“I frequent conspiracy forums,” He waved his hand in a dismissal, and Andrew wasn’t quite sure he was completely joking about that one. “So you’re not harbouring a crazy huge crush on Quinta?” he shook his head in a negative, but Steven’s dramatics had only begun. “Is that what you’re telling me? And all those hours I spent, poring over wedding catalogues, all for you two!” Andrew was already groaning in frustration. “Where is your _loyalty_ , Andrew – i had it all planned out! Even the floral arrangements!”

“ _Really_?” Adam slid into the seat next to Andrew, tray of food in his hands. Andrew spared him a glare, looking betrayed, and faintly thought that no one had any right to sound as interested in a subject as Adam had. “Calla lilies? They’d go great with Andrew’s white suit,” Andrew gaped in horror, _I would not be wearing a fucking white suit_ , but Steven spoke animatedly before Andrew could protest.

“Yes! Yes, exactly. Gosh, Bianchi, you really get it. See? Even Adam’s more into your marriage than you are. _Tsk tsk tsk_ , talk about a failed relationship,”

“Are you two done yet or do i need to move tables?” But even he could hear the amusement in his voice, and Steven was smiling while chewing into his bread, looking at him with something Andrew didn’t dare name.

“Yeah, we’re done,” Steven spoke, and his voice was so unbelievably soft. The kind of voice you’d use on a hurt puppy, or a lover you haven’t seen for years. Andrew was not a fan of this train of thought.

“Did you actually think I had a thing for Quinta?”

“Wait, i’m sorry, what the fuck did I miss?” Adam had almost inhaled the salad on his fork, and was spluttering and choking around laughter. Steven shrugged, not looking at Andrew’s eyes. He twisted the chicken nugget on his plate around with his fork, stalling.

“Yeah, I guess. It just made sense, what with the whole, you know, Chem thing. But it was stupid,” His cheeks reddened. “Like that’s obviously not the only legitimate reason you’d. You know. Want her as your lab buddy. I kinda jumped to conclusions there,” and Steven was still not looking at him, but he was smiling a bit now, and this time there was nothing off about it. Andrew was searching his face for something, but he didn’t know what.

“I’m surprised you let this up so easy, to be fair. One denial and _boom_ , you believe me? You’re off your game, tinfoil hat love man,” Steven made a face at him,  and chewed on a nugget with exaggerated fury, all large mouth movements and eyebrows. Adam was giggling beside them and Andrew shook his head.

“How _dare_ you bring that nickname back!” Steven accused, again smiling, and Andrew could only chew on a french fry with a smirk.

 

-

 

Later that night, Andrew’s phone lit up with a message from Steven.

_[11:35pm] fancy boy: mmkay but u’d tell me if u liked quinta right???????_

Andrew couldn’t believe it. Actually, yes, he could. He chuckled, typing back a quick response when another text came in.

_[11:34pm] fancy boy: or like, anyone. you’d tell me if u had a crush right???_

Andrew stopped typing. He looked at his ceiling and thought, about nothing in particular, for a while. He didn’t even know why his response hadn’t been instantaneous, and he didn’t want to parse why.

_[11:36pm] the truffle to my pizzzza: idk ;)would I?_

_[11:36pm] fancy boy: uhmm i hate u yes u would!!! u’d tell me_

_[11:36pm] the truffle to my pizzzza: of course I’d tell you_

_At least I think I would._ Andrew shook his head out of that particular thought, and set his phone down, hoping for sleep.

 

-

As fate would have it (and fate most certainly had it), school play rehearsals would take place that week. The school play was taken very seriously around here, and so it was a typical occurence for some students to miss a few classes nearing performance time. Funnily enough, the only two drama kids in Andrew’s Chem Lab were Quinta and Keith.

What’s even more funny is that Keith was Steven’s lab partner.

Steven and Andrew were without lab partners.

Their teacher noted the predesigned absence in his droning voice, eyes sunken and looking even more weary than usual. Steven swiveled on his stool to look at Andrew, smiling an exaggerated wide grin and nodding his head, and Andrew didn’t have it in him not to smile back. They’d have to pair up for the week, which was okay with Andrew, it wasn’t even that much of a big deal anyway, he just liked to spend some time with his other friends that weren’t Steven and Adam sometimes, that’s what this was all about in the first place, obviously.

Moving his stuff from his table to Steven’s, Steven leaned in close before whispering.

”Guess you couldn’t avoid me for long, eh?” And he was smiling because that’s his best friend, and Andrew just chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“I _guess_ I’m going to have to endure your presence for another extended period of time,” he faked a sigh,and there was no real edge to his words. Steven knocked their knees together under their now shared workspace and beamed. There was an inexplicably warm feeling budding in Andrew’s chest, and he cleared his throat to shake his mind from it.

**Author's Note:**

> me: u should really work on ur other multichaptered fics  
> also me: haha put them in high school u fucking nonce


End file.
